Coming off a 21-31 campaign, Middle Tennessee softball added eight freshmen in the 2024 offseason.
Out of the large freshman class, third baseman Jana Want and pitcher Leila Ammon have quickly become stars for the Blue Raiders. Want and Ammon have combined for four total Freshman of the Week Awards in Conference USA.
“We know when we recruited both Leila and Jana that they were going to come in and have a chance to play right off the bat.” head coach Jeff Breeden said. “We graduated a lot of older players last year, and those spots were open, and they came in here, and they were the better players.”
Want earned the starting job at third base to begin the season and hasn’t looked back. Providing offensive firepower from the batter’s box, she leads the team with a .376 batting average. In 39 games played, Want has recorded 41 hits for 26 runs, 32 RBIs, eight home runs and 28 walks.
“It’s been really exciting to contribute to the team, and it’s been a really good time playing with everybody,” Want said. “We’ve got a really good team connection, and it’s been amazing overall.”
Want came to Middle Tennessee from Ontario, Canada, where she was a crucial piece to the U18 Canada National Women’s team in 2024 when they won silver in the Pan American Championship.
“That was another amazing experience, it was a complete dream come true,” Want said. “I love all those girls with every piece of my heart, and it was so amazing to be included in that experience.”
The Blue Raiders (18-21) are only three wins away from the previous season’s win total. Middle Tennessee has 14 games remaining, with 12 being conference matchups. MTSU is looking to make their first conference tournament appearance since winning the CUSA championship in 2023.
“It’s felt pretty good coming in and this being my first year, and I’m really excited for the conference tournament,” Want said. “I think we’ve got a pretty good shot because our team has a lot of fight and determination.”
In the pitcher’s circle for MTSU, Ammon has been an outstanding addition for the Blue Raiders. Ammon is from Gulf Breeze, Florida, where she played four years of varsity softball with a 1.72 era in 402.2 innings pitched during high school.
“If you look into the future, you think that it’s really bright because they’re just going to continue to get better every year,” Breeden said. “So, by the time they leave here, they’ll be something special.”
Ammon has posted a 2.68 era over 94 innings of work for the Blue Raiders with 65 strikeouts and 30 walks. Her first FOTW award came in early March after she pitched 12.2 innings and a complete game for nine strikeouts and only one earned run over three appearances.
“Your team, that’s the biggest thing you can lean on, is knowing that the defense has your back,” Ammon said. “And we’ve seen that our team can hit the ball, so you really just have to lean on them.”
Her second award came after she pitched a complete game in MTSU’s 3-2 upset victory over the No. 19 ranked Mississippi State in Starkville, Mississippi. Ammon threw 89 pitches while striking out three batters, giving up two runs and zero walks.
“It’s definitely surreal, and I’m just super grateful to get the opportunity to contribute to my team,” Ammon said. “The biggest difference is the mental game. You just have to realize that you can compete with anybody.”
Middle Tennessee’s standout freshmen will have home-field advantage in 10 of their 14 remaining games. Playing at home has been a strength for the Blue Raiders, as they’ve posted a 10-2 record when they play in Murfreesboro.
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